DJI is developing technology to allow anybody with a WiFi-enabled smartphone to access information on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying in your vicinity. The reasons why this is a good idea are quite obvious. To increase safety and security. But there are definitely going to be some privacy hurdles to overcome.
Drone registration is now mandatory in the UK for all drones over 250g and costs £9/yr
As of yesterday, drone users in the UK will now have to take an online test and pay a £9 annual fee if they want to fly a drone weighing between 250g and 20kg. If you don’t, you could be facing a £1,000 fine. The new mandatory registration scheme comes in the wake of increased calls for drone regulation over fears of their misuse.
First announced back in 2017, the scheme is finally here. There are two registrations – one for the drone owner, and one for those who are flying it. If you own and fly your own drone, you’ll need both. Children who wish to fly drones are also required to take the test, too. And you’ll need to have it done by the end of this month.
You could be fined $5,000 for flying a drone anywhere in Canada
Transport Canada recently introduced new rules for recreational drone users that could land you with fines up to $5,000. One of YouTube’s most popular Canadians, Peter McKinnon talks with drone pilot friend, Gabriel in this video about the new regulations that have come into force, and what it means for Canadian drone pilots.
Your drone will soon need to have a visible license plate
Drone registration rules will change according to a recently proposed rule. No, it won’t be deemed unconstitutional again. As a matter of fact, soon it will not be enough to just put the drone’s ID number inside the aircraft. Instead, it will need to have a visible “license plate” on the outside.
Dear America, you do have to register drones with the FAA after all
Yes, that’s right, the drone registry introduced in 2015, and deemed unconstitutional back in May of this year is now back. When the drone registration system was first introduced it was met with mixed response. On the one hand, there’s those worried about privacy, and on the other the “Well, if you’re not doing anything illegal, what do you have to worry about?”
Now, it seems privacy be damned, thanks to a bill signed into law yesterday by President Trump. The reinstated registration rules are a small part of a much larger $700bn National Defense Authorization Act. TechCrunch suggests that this was such a small part of the bill it likely slipped through unnoticed.
How DJI’s new AeroScope rogue drone detection system finds you and your drone
DJI’s new drone tracking system, AeroScope was announced last month. It’s designed to allow officials at airports, military installations and other restricted areas to easily spot unauthorised drone use.
The Verge went to talk to DJI North America managing director, Michael Perry to see how the system in action and find out how it works.
DJI’s new AeroScope system can now track and identify your drone while flying
Tracking drones is a bit of a hot topic. With all of the legislation constantly changing and evolving around the world, authorities want to know who’s flying offending drones. Put simply, there’s really no accountability. Unless they can find the person holding the transmitter, or law-breaking footage is posted to YouTube or Facebook and reported, there’s no way to find out who’s breaking the rules.
Now, though, that’s about to change. The concept of tracking drones has been a difficult challenge to overcome. But DJI have come up with a solution. AeroScope. They figured, “Hey, we’re pumping out all this drone data to the operator, why not take advantage of the existing system?”. Which is exactly what AeroScope does, to provide information on nearby drones.
Mandatory drone registration is coming to the UK
It may have recently been tested and defeated in the American courts, but drone registration is coming to the UK. The government have announced plans to introduce the registration along with “safety awareness courses” for owners of SUAs (Small Unmanned Aircraft). This registration, they say, will be required for anything weighing more than 250g (~8oz).
The BBC report that DJI have weighed in and are in favour of these measures. They have not announced a timeframe, nor plans on exactly how the rules will be enforced. The Department of Transport told the BBC that “the nuts and bolts still have to be ironed out”.
You might be owed a refund if you registered your drone with the FAA
A few weeks ago, it was announced that the Federal Aviation Administration no longer requires registration for personal drones. The federal appeals court in Washington D.C. decided that the FAA simply has no right to require hobbyists to register their drones and model aircraft. Well, now the FAA have are offering to de-list drone hobbyists from their system and issue refunds.
The refund is basically down to the fact that they weren’t legally allowed to charge you in the first place. But you do have to file for it, you don’t just receive it. According to AINonline, the FAA have made available a “registration deletion and self-certification” form. Registrants must complete it and then mail it to the FAA Civil Aviation Registry.
FAA is developing a remote identification system for personal drones
Federal Aviation Administration is working on the new ways of identifying drones, in order to increase people’s safety and pilots’ accountability. As a part of these efforts, they are now proposing a remote identification of the consumer drones.
In May 2017, FAA announced that the registration of personal drones isn’t required any longer. This makes it more difficult to track down the pilots who fly their aircraft irresponsibly. Although the commercial drones still require registration, one still can’t see the identification number when the drone is up in the air. At the same time, the pilot could be hundreds of feet away while operating the aircraft. All this increases the risk of faulty operations and reduces people’s safety. This is why FAA is proposing the new solution that will allow the police to identify the drones remotely.
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